I am currently studying Viril, the Aeneid, book four. My teacher has set the near impossible task of an essay explaining what literary devices Virgil uses to take the reader on an "emotive journey". I was just wondering if anyone has any idea how i even start this essay let alone what i should include as the most important?! Please email me if you have any thoughts!

10-16-2007, 01:50 AM

missm

An emotive journey, just from the literal meaning of the word, is a journey that the emotions takes one on, or a journey based on the emotions. Think about this for the paper: what emotive journeys (what emotions does Aeneas have so far up to book four?) have been discussed from his entrance into Troy, to his remembering the death of Hector when Hector appears to him in his dream. That dream when Hector shows up is already a flashback by Aeneas because remember that the setting is after a great feast in Dido's palace and it is at the end of the night and the people are all relaxed and then dido says (in effect): tell me about that journey of yours, how your beloved city fell and oh yeah I hear your wife died too.
put yourself in Aeneas' shows and imagine how you would feel. Take that as your start for an emotive journey..

10-16-2007, 01:53 AM

missm

Question:
Do the Trojans breach their own walls to get the Horse in their city, or do they merely open the gates to the city?
Also how big was Troy, beings that Aeneas made it through the city a few times in one night?